Privilege

by Savanna Phillips

Ecumenical Advocacy Days brings together faith advocates to mobilize for action and to make a public witness on Capitol Hill.
Ecumenical Advocacy Days brings together faith advocates to mobilize for action and to make a public witness on Capitol Hill.

In NBA’s strategic planning for 2018-2021, we have named Advocacy and Activism as a strategic priority, as we work to transform the root causes of social injustice. Efforts include equipping and training partners to address the critical social justice issues most relevant to their work. From April 20 to 23, NBA XPLOR Residents from Tucson-Marana and Hiram-Mantua traveled to Washington, D.C. for Ecumenical Advocacy Days (EAD), an event that aims to strengthen the voice of the ecumenical Christian community and to mobilize for advocacy through worship, theological reflection, and opportunities for learning and witness. In this reflection, Savanna shares how incomprehensible and dangerous privilege can be.

Privilege is a vast ocean,
I cannot understand.
It is changing tides
Pulling me out to sea,
I can’t keep afloat-
It crashes and pulls me down.
It is salt burning my eyes,
Water filling my ears.

Privilege is a vast ocean,
I cannot understand.
It is endlessly deep,
And filled with life.
Drawing me in-
The promise of beauty.
It is birds that circle above,
Sharks waiting to strike.

Privilege is a vast ocean,
I cannot understand.
It surrounds me,
Like I am the coast.
It is where I was born-
When I was born
Who I was born
What color I was born.

Privilege is a vast ocean,
I cannot understand.
It is hate and ignorance,
Instead of water and salt.
Something I can’t see-
Pulling me under.
I try to hold my breath,
But I fear I may choke.

Savanna is a 2017-18 NBA XPLOR Resident in Tucson-Marana, AZ. She serves at First Christian Church Tucson and Community Food Bank Marana.

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NBA XPLOR is a 10-month service residency opportunity for young adults ages 21-30, with the purpose of empowering young adults to discern and develop a “heart for care” as they live together in simple community, engage in direct service and justice work, engage in leadership development, and discern their vocational calls to honor the various communities they are called to serve. Learn more and apply at nbacares.org/xplor.

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